The League of Rhode Island Businesses, a conservative-leaning advocacy group that developed an unorthodox approach to channel campaign funds to legislative candidates, struck out in its first attempt to reshape the General Assembly.
All nine candidates backed by LORIB lost their races in Wednesday’s primary election, most of them by lopsided margins.
Leah Boisclair, a criminal-defense lawyer from Charlestown, was considered one of LORIB’s top prospects. Running as a Democrat, she challenged Rep. Tina Spears (D-Charlestown), elected first in 2022.
Spears won big, with just under 82% of the vote, according to unofficial results.
Five other legislative candidates facing LORIB-endorsed challengers got more than 70% of the vote:
- Robert Craven Jr. in North Kingstown (72.9%)
- Nicole Jellinek in Barrington (77.6%)
- Rep. Sam Bell (D-Providence) (72.4%)
- Sen. Meghan Kallman (D-Pawtucket) (70.8%)
- Sen. Alana DiMario (D-Narragansett) (71.9%)
DiMario was challenged by Mark Mesrobian, a cousin of Senate Majority Whip David Tikoian (D-Smithfield).
Asked what the shutout of LORIB candidates reflects, DiMario said, “I think it shows that the very cynical approach to run candidates in Democratic primaries who do not uphold or have demonstrated Democratic values was not successful. And I also think it shows that a lot of Republican money can’t buy a Democratic primary.”
Dave Levesque, who owns the Brewed Awakenings chain of coffee shops and was a driving force in forming the League of Rhode Island Businesses last year, attributed the loss of LORIB candidates to low primary turnout by moderate to conservative voters.
“The progressives came out all across the state of Rhode Island and swamped the vote,” Levesque said in an interview.
Asked about DiMario’s criticism of LORIB, Levesque said, “It had nothing to do with Democratic values. It has to do with trying to beat an incumbent, trying to beat a machine, the system is extremely hard. But listen, if someone is satisfied with the $15.2 billion budget, then Alana DiMario is your candidate.”
In an interview last year, Levesque said the effort took off when then-Speaker Joe Shekarchi told him that groups seeking to influence legislative policy need to be present at the Statehouse.
LORIB created political action committees in each of Rhode Island’s 39 communities, plus one statewide and formed a tax-exempt 501 (c) (4) that can engage in lobbying activities, with the goal of supporting legislative candidates.
This approach allowed LORIB to work around state campaign finance laws limiting individual contributions to $2,000 per candidate, per year, and created an opening for much larger contributions. With a promise of confidential contributions, donors could give up to $9,900 to any number of political action committees, which could then disperse the funding as the committee saw fit.
Levesque said the group raised more than $240,000 this year.
According to the final pre-primary campaign filing, Mesrobian had a balance of almost $84,000 in his campaign – far more than typical for most legislative candidates.
To critics like DiMario, LORIB “is really just an anti-gun safety group masquerading as a business group.”
The group’s novel fundraising approach led some people in and around the Statehouse to wonder if LORIB could influence policy at the legislature.
“I think this demonstrates unequivocally that that is not true,” DiMario said. “I think we can go back to really just focusing on the work that needs to be done and I don’t think any of my colleagues need to be running scared of any type of challenge from a group like this.”
DiMario said she will continue to support efforts to tighten restrictions on campaign contributions in Rhode Island, a move aimed at LORIB’s approach.
Levesque said he expects the candidates supported by LORIB in the November general election, mostly Republicans and some independents, to perform better. He said some of those who lost primaries will run again in the future.
Writing on X state Rep. Brian C. Newberry (R-North Smithfield) said the league’s primary day results “only proved Dems in primaries need have no fear of the business community. Spectacular and utterly predictable backfire. Too late for 2026 but after these two years turn into a debacle maybe people will awaken. The GOP is weak but it's the only choice.”
Republicans currently hold 10 of 75 seats in the Rhode Island House and 4 of 38 in the Senate.
